An unexpected evacuation alert just before tipoff at TD Garden briefly delayed Monday’s scheduled game between the 76ers and Celtics.
Warmups were going along as scheduled when an emergency alert began sounding in Boston. The announcement sparked confusion, as fans were told to evacuate. Video from NBC Sports Philadelphia shows how abrupt the signal was and the confusion that followed.
The start of Sixers-Celtics in Boston was delayed because of an emergency alarm. pic.twitter.com/FBcvKoWmtR
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) December 21, 2021
A follow-up announcement was never made, leaving everyone in the building deeply confused.
It remains unclear as to what is going to happen next. Both teams are just standing on the court. The alert said there would be an announcement after telling people to leave if needed, but one didn’t happen. Now there’s no indication of what comes next. https://t.co/kbs2mQcpRh
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) December 21, 2021
While the start was slightly delayed, no evacuation ever took place, and the alarm was silenced fairly quickly. It had been triggered by a burst pipe, according to Brian Robb of Mass Live.
With nothing actually wrong, the whole incident is kind of funny, though you can imagine how both teams felt after a rather chaotic weekend around the league. Maybe they should take notes from another team and just go have a picnic instead.
